Coin sorter and counter



Nov. 21, 1961 J. c. sEcKuLA, sR

com soRTER AND COUNTER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 25. 1959 ATTORNEY Nov. 21, 1961 J. c. sEcKuLA, SR

com soRTER AND COUNTER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 25. 1959 JCfSec/ulafg MJL W m l T h.\ M I .IV M.\ V m,|| rl\r .IWA y n m Il .m\ \N\ ||lf s1 \w\ :Fl I| |I I 4 QM uw, um m Hun mlm Nw anw N R mw, uw. .v Q\ MW 1,. Nv/ xu w mf l h twm mi f, .mwswklw 94 $u *Rmb w@ lv I l N' mm. m |Iv m ATTORNEY NOV. 21, 1961 1 C, SECKULA, SR 3,009,555

com soRTER'AND COUNTER Filed March 25. 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR cfa/Se c ua,S7:

ATTORNEY Nov. 21, 1961 J. c. sEcKULA, SR

com soRTER AND COUNTER 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 25. 1959 INVENTOR msec/g uzar. b21/7K W ATTORNEY Nov. 21, 1961 J. c. sEcKULA, SR

com soRTER AND COUNTER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 25. 1959 INVENTOR JTM.

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ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 21, 19 61 Joseph This invention relates to a novel machine of simple construction for accurately sorting and counting coins and has for its primary object to provide a machine utilizing an endless conveyor by means of which coins are conveyed from a supply source past successive stations where the coins are separated from the endless conveyor according to denomination and at which stations the coins may also be counted, simultaneously with the sorting thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coin sorter and counter including an elongated plate along which the coins are conveyed and against which the coins have sliding contact while supported by and moved with the endless conveyor and away from which plate the coins are displaced oit of the endless conveyer in passing the sorting or the sorting and counting stations of the machine and which are disposed at longitudinally spaced points along said guide plate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine having a pair of spaced substantially parallel guide plates disposed at an incline to provide an inclined slot through which the coins chine `and of said slot to the sorting or the sorting and counting stations of the machine, at which stations the coins are rejected from the slot and conveyor and outwardly of one of said guide plates.

A further object of the invention is -to provide a machine having means for guiding the flight of the endless conveyor which carries the coins to the sorting stations to minimize frictional contact between the endless conveyor and coin guide means of the machine.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description `of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

FIGURE lis a top planv view, partly broken away, of the coin sorting and counting machine;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational View thereof, partly broken away and partly in section, taken along a plane as indicated by the line 2 2 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURES 3, 4 and 5 are enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional views of the machine, taken substantially along planes as indicated by the lines 3-3\, 4-4 and 5-5, respectively, of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the electric circuit of the sorting and counting units of the machine;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional View, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 7-7 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 8 is a side elevational View of the coin plates;

FIGURE 9 is a plan View thereof;

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged cross sectional view through a part of the conveyor chain, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 10-1-0 of FIGURE 7, and

FIGURE ll is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional guide are conveyed longitudinally of the ma-y View, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 11-11 of FIGURE 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the coin sorting and counting machine in its entirety and comprising the invention is designated generally 15 and includes an elongated substantially flat base 16 to which a pair of bearing standards 17 and 18 are fixed. The bearing standards 17 and 18 are disposed adjacent .the ends of the base 16 and near a front longitudinal edge thereof. Shafts 19 and 20 are journalled in the bearings 17 and 18, respectively, and have portions projecting forwardly from said bearings. Sprocket wheels 21 and 22 are fixed to the forward ends of the shafts 17 and 18, respectively. An endless conveyor, designated generally 23, includes an endless roller chain 24 which is trained over the sprocket wheels 21 and 22. A power source 25, such as an electric motor, is secured to and disposed on the base 16 behind and adjacent the bearing 17 and has a drive shaft 26 disposed crosswise of the machine and to which a belt pulley 27 is secured, as seen in IFIGURE 1. A belt pulley 28, is xed to the other rear end of the shaft 20 and is disposed behind the bearing 18. The belt pulleys 27 and 28 are of the V-type and an endless V-type belt 29 is trained over said belt pulleys for driving the shaft 20 from the -drive shaft 26 and at a reduced speed, since the 4belt pulley 28 is of larger diameter than the belt pulley 27. It will be apparent that the endless conveyor 23 will be driven by the shaft 20 and its sprocket wheel 22 and that the shaft 17 and its sprocket wheel 21 constitutes an idler shaft and an idler sprocket wheel, respectively.

A hopper supporting standard 30 is secured to and rises from the base 16 and is disposed between the bear' ings 17 and 18 and adjacent said bearing 17. A hopper 31, which includes downwardly converging end walls 32' and 33, a rear wall 34 and front wall 35, is supported by the upper portion of the standard 30. The rear wall 34. has a bottom portion 36 which is disposed in a plane parallel to the axis of the standard 30 and which is secured to the forward side of the upper portion of said standard, as seen in FIGURE 3. The inclined portion of the front wall 35 extends downwardly to below thel level of the inclined portion of the rear wall 34 and includes a bottom portion 317 which is disposed parallel to and spaced from the lower partof the rear wall portion 36 and which combines therewith to form a relatively narrow opening in the bottom of the hopper which extends from end-to-end thereof. The end Walls 32 and 33 areV provided with aligned slots 38 and 39, respectively, in' the lower portions thereof, as best seen in FIGURE 7.

A coin guide, designated generally 40, includes a pair of elongated guide plates 41 and 42 of approximately the same length, as seen in FIGURES 8 and 9. 'I'he elongated plates 41 and 42 are connected together at longitudinally spaced points by screw fastenings 43 which carry spacing elements 414 which retain said plates in spaced apart substantially parallel relation to one another. The plate 41., constituting the rear guide plate, is wider than the front plate 42 and has its upper edge disposed -above the level of the upper edge of the front plate, as seen in FIGURE 8. One end of the guide 40 extends longitudinally through the lower portion of the hopper 31, being accommodated in the end wall openings 38 and 39 thereof. The end portion of the front plate 42, which is disposed in the hopper 31, is notched or recessed as seen at 45 and only said recessed portion of the front plate 42 extends through the hopper 31. A pair of the fastenings 43 which are disposed beyond and adjacent the ends of the notch 45 additionally extend through and are secured in ears or projections 46 which are disposed on the outer sides of the end walls 32 and 33, for securing an end of the guide 40 to the hopper 31. Additionally, as seen in FIGURE 3, the part of the rear plate 41 which lies against the inner side of the rear wall portion 36 may be secured thereto by fastenings 47, which fastenings 47 also secure the hopper to the post or standard 30. A bracket 18 is mounted on and secured to the bearing 18 and is fastened to the rear plate 41 for supporting the end of the guide which is located remote from the hopper 31.

The standard 30, below the hopper 31, is provided with a forwardly opening channelled portion 48 in which is secured complementary portions of an upper guide rail 49 and a lower guide rail 50. Said guide rails 49 and 50 are disposed in spaced apart relation one above the other and are located in the open front of the channel 48 and spaced from the rear end thereof, as seen in FIGURE 3. The outer or rear side of the guide plate 41 has a plurality of hanger brackets 51, as seen in FIGURES 4 and 5, secured thereto by fastenings 52, and which hangers 51 extend downwardly from said rear plate 41 and have forwardly opening channels 53, corresponding to the channel 48, through which the rails 49 and 50 extend. The rails 49 and 50 are anchored in the top portions and bottom portions, respectively, of the channels 48 and 53 by screw fastenings 54.

The rollers 55 of the chain 24 travel between the rails 49 and 50. The inner side plates 56 of the chain 24 travel through the bed portions of the channel 48 and channels 53. The endless conveyor 23 includes a plurality of coin supporting and conveying lingers 57 each of which comprises a fiat plate which is mounted on the outer side of a portion of the chain 24 and through a lower part of which loosely extends two adjacently disposed pins 58 of the chain 24, as best seen in FIGURE 2. An endless retainer element 59 engages around the pair of pins 58 and is retained in engagement therewith and bears against an outer side of the conveyor linger 57 for retaining the finger mounted on the pins 58. The fingers 57 project outwardly from the pins 58 relative to the periphery of the chain 24 and the outer portions thereof are provided with complementary notches 60. The notch 60 of each conveyor finger 57 opens forwardly with respect to the direction of travel of the conveyor finger. The conveyor fingers 57 are mounted outwardly with respect to the other outer side plates 61 of the chain 24 and which outer edges of the rails 49 and 50, as best seen in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5. The upper flight of the roller chain 24 is held positioned between the rails `49 and 50 so that the upper portions of the conveyor fingers 57, carried by the upper iiight of the chain 24, are disposed to slide freely in the slot 62, formed by the spaced guide plates 41 and 42, and which slot has an open top and an open bottom. The lower flight of the chain 24 passes through a forwardly opening recess 48' of standard 30.

The coin guide 40 is provided with four longitudinally spaced sorting and counting stations, designated generally 63, 64, 65 and 66. The sorting and counting stations 63 and 64 are located adjacent the inner end of the hopper 31 and each includes an opening formed in the front plate 42 and which openings or apertures are designated 67 and 68', respectively. At each of the stations 63 and 64, a bell crank 69 is pivotally mounted on the rear side of the guide plate 41 by a fastening 70 which is mounted in and extends from the rear side of the plate 41 and on which the apex of the bell crank 69 turnably engages. The bell crank 69 has one arm which is provided with a lateral extension 71 on which is journalled a roller 72. The roller 72 extends loosely through an opening 73 of the plate 41 so that a part of said roller is disposed in the guide slot 62. A bottom portion of the roller 72 of the station 63 is located adjacent the top central portion of the opening 67.

Each station 63 and 64 has an electric switch 74, of the type commercially known as a microswitch, secured to and projecting from the rear side of the plate 41 and which is located near the upper edge thereof and between the bell crank 69 of said station and the hopper 31. The electric switch has a reciprocating plunger 75 which extends therefrom toward the other upwardly extending arm 76 of the bell crank.

Each station 63 and 64 has a bracket 77 which is secured to and projects from the rear side of the plate 41 and which supports an electromagnet 78 provided with a plunger rod 79 which extends forwardly therefrom through an opening 80 of the guide plate 41. The two openings 80 are disposed preferably in alignment with the centers of the openings 67 and 68. A spring 81 acts to urge the plunger 79 to a fully retracted position so that the forward end thereof is within the opening 80 and out of the guide slot 62, as illustrated in FIGURE 4. Each of the stations 63 and 64 is also preferably provided with a conventional meter 82 which may be mounted in any suitable location, as for example, on the electromagnet 78.

The stations 65 and 66 include openings or apertures 83 and 84, respectively, which are formed in the front plate 42. Each of these stations is also provided with an electromagnet 78 and its associated parts, as illustrated in FIGURE 5, and a meter 82.

In lieu of a bell crank 69 and an electric switch 74, each station 65 and 66 includes a light source 85 which is supported by a socket and bracket unit 86 behind the plate 41 and so that the light source 85 has a portion thereof disposed directly behind a small opening 87 in the rear plate 41 and which openings 87 of the stations 65 and 66 align with upper portions of the openings 83 and 84, respectively. The units 86 are secured to the upper portion of the rear plate 41.

A coin chute, designated generally 88, which will here inafter be described in detail, is mounted on the forward side of the front plate 42 and extends longitudinally there of, from adjacent the hopper 311 to adjacent the end of the guide 40 located remote from said hopper. Said coin chute 88 has spaced walls provided with openings 89 which align with the openings 83 and 84 and with the small apertures 87. Photoelectric cells 90 of a conventional type are mounted in the openings 89` to align with the apertures 87, which align with upper portions of the openings 83 and 84.

The coin chute 88 is secured at its ends by certain of the fastenings 43 to the outer side of the front plate 42 and has substantially vertical passages or chutes 91, 92, 93 and 94 forming portions of the stations 63, 64, 65 and 66, respectively, and into the upper portions of which the openings 67, 68, 83 and 84, respectively, open. The chute 88 also includes vertical chute passages 95, 96, 97 and 98 which are disposed to the left of the passages 91, 92, 93 and 94, respectively, as seen from the front of the machine 15. As seen in FIGURE 8, the front plate 42 has openings 99, 100, 101 and 102 which are disposed to the left of the openings 67, 68, 83 and 84, respectively, and which open into the upper portions of the chute passages 95, 96, 97 and 98, respectively. The eight passages of the chute 88 have open lower ends. Eight coin collecting receptacles 103 are provided, the open upper ends of which are disposed directly below the open lower ends of the chute passages to receive the coins discharged by gravity therefrom for thus separately collecting the sorted coins from the machine 15, as will hereinafter be described in detail.

Openings 99, 100, 101 and 102 have notches 104, as seen in FIGURE 8, which open in the upper portion thereof and which receive portions of bevelled deliector elements 105 which are lixcd to the inner side of the rear plate 41 and which extend across the slot 62 through said notches 104 and through upper portions of the openings into which said notches open.

FIGURE 6 illustrates an electric circuit for the coin sorting and counting stations including a positive lead 106 and a negative or return lead 107. Branch conductor wires 108 lead from the winding of the four electromagnets 78 to the return lead 107. Branch conductors 109 lead from the positive lead 106 to the electric switches 74, forming parts of the stations 63y and 64. One conductor 109 leads from one terminal of each of the switches 74 to the other end of the winding of the electromagnet 78 associated with said switch, and another branch lead 110 leads from the same contact of the switch 74 to one connection of the meter 82 of said station, and another branch conductor 111 leads from the other end of the meter 8-2 back to the return lead 107. Thus, when the electric switch 74 is momentarily closed, the electromagnet of the station of which it forms a part will be energized and the meter 82 thereof will be energized for counting a coin having been handled by the station of which the meter forms a part. The electric circuits of the stations 65 and 66 are somewhat different, although these stations also include branch conductors 108 leading from the electromagnets 78 thereof to the return lead 107. A branch conductor 112 extends from the positive lead 106 to the light source 85 and the photoelectric cell 90 of each station 65 and 66. A relay 113y is interposed in the electric circuit of each station 65 and 66 between conductors 114 and 115 leading from the light source 85 and photoelectric cell 90, respectively. An extension 114 of conductor 114 connects with branch conductor 108. A conductor 116 connects corresponding terminals of the electromagnet 78 and the electric counter 82. Conductor 1,16 has a branch 116 connected to one contact of a normally open switch 116". The other contact of switch 116" is connected to the positive lead 106 by a conductor 112. A branch conductor 108' leads from the coin counter 82 of each station 65 and 66 to the branch conductor 108 thereof. Thus, when the light beam from the light source 85l` to the photoelectric cell 90, of either station 65 or 66, is broken, as will hereinafter be described, the relay 113 will be energized to close the switch 116" to thus complete a circuit between the conductor 108 and conductor 112 for energizing the solenoid 78 and the electric counter 82, for counting one coin handled by said station and for removing the coin from the coin guide 40. v

'I'he coin counting and sort-ing `machine 15 as illustrated in the drawings is adapted to handle quarters, nickels, pennies and dimes which are supplied to the machine through the open top of the hopper 31. The endless conveyor 23 is driven counterclockwise as seen in FIGURES 2 and 7, independent of the electric circuit of FIGURE 6, when the power source 25 is in operation. As the chain 24 passes upwardly in a counterclockwise direction around the outer part of the sprocket wheel 211, the rollers 55 thereof will be brought into positions to enter between the guide rails 49 and 50. At the same time the upper notched portions of the conveyor ingers enter the bottom portion of the hopper 31 and at the same time enter through an end of the guide slot 62 between the guide plates 41 and 42. The conveyor lingers pass through an exposed part of the slot 39 which is in alignment with the guide slot 62 in entering the bottom portion of the hopper 31, -as seen in FIGURE 7.

Coins including a mixture of quarters 117, nickels 118, pennies 119 and dimes 120 are dumped into the hopper 31 through its open top and will be deflected downwardly by the hopper walls, as best seen in FIGURE 3, so that each conveyor finger 57 will pick up a coin in the notch 60 thereof, as illustrated in FIGURE 7, and will carry the coin from the hopper 31 through the unoccupied portion of the slot 38, as best seen in FIGURES 3 and 7. The notch 45 of the guide plate 42 allows the coins to slide down the hopper front wall 35 into the notches 60 of the conveyor fingers 57 and the thickness of the coins is approximately equal to the thickness of the conveyor fingers 57 so that only one coin can lodge in each notch or recess 60, as the conveyor fingers 57 are disposed su'iciently close together, as seen in FIGURE 7, to prevent a second coin lodging in the notch 60 of any linger 57. The thickness of the conveyor fingers or plates 57 is slightly less than the Width of the guide slot 62 and said conveyor fingers are supported by the chain 24 which is rin turn supported against lateral and up and down movement by the rails 49 and 50, so that the upper portions of the conveyor lingers 57 will travel along the slot `62 without having suiiicient contact with either guide plate 41 or 42 to cause wear on said guide plates or on the conveyor lingers.

Wedges or tapered blocks 12:1 are positioned beneath the base 16 and crosswise thereof so that said base is supported at an incline downwardly of approximately 10 from its forward edge to its rear edge, as best seen in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5. Since the guide plates 41 and 42 yare disposed in planes perpendicular to the plane of the base 16, said guide plates will likewise be disposed at an incline upwardly and rearwardly of approximately 10. Accordingly, the coins carried in the conveyor recesses or notches 60 will lie against and slide along the front side of the rear plate 41 and will be disposed out of contact with the front plate 42, as best seen in FIGURES 4 and 5.

The opening 67 is of adequate size to permit coins to be ejected outwardly therethrough into the coin chute passage 91, and the roller 72 of the station 63 in its normal position in the bottom part of the opening 73 is positioned so that it will be struck by the upper portions of quarters 117 passing the station 63. Said roller 72 of the station 63 is suliciently elevated so that nickels, pennies and dimes can pass freely therebeneath without contacting said roller, Assuming that the switch 122 is closed and that the circuit of FIGURE 6 is connected to a source of electric current, as a quarter 117 approaches a position in alignment with the opening 67 it will contact the roller 72 of the station 63 to rock the bell crank 69 clockwise as seen in FIGURES 2 and 7 to its position as seen in these views from a position, corresponding to the position of the bell crank l69 of the station 64. This clockwise movement of the bell crank 69 of station 63 will cause its arm 76 to engage the plunger 75 oli the electric switch 74 to displace said plunger inwardly of the switch to energize the electromagnet 78 and the meter 82 of the station 63. The meter or electric counter 82 will register the coin and energizing of the electromagnet will cause the plunger 79 thereof to be projected from right to left as seen in FIGURE 4 for forcibly ejecting the coin 117 through the opening 67 into the coin passage 91 from which it will drop by gravity into the open upper end of the collecting receptacle .103 disposed therebeneath.

Should a defective coin pass beneath the roller 72 of the station 63 without rocking the bell crank 69 suiciently to cause the electric switch of said station to assume a circuit closing position, the defective quarter 117 will contact the bevelled surface of the ejector element and which is located between the stations 63 and 64 and said element will deflect the coin 117 through the opening 99 into the chute passage 95 from which it will drop into the open top of the container 103 which is disposed beneath said chute passage. Thus, such defective coin will be sorted but not counted by the machine 15. Said deflector element 105 is disposed at a suliicient -height so that nickels, pennies and dimes may pass therebeneath and such coins may likewise pass beneath the roller 72 of the station 63. The nickels 118 will contact the roller 72 of the station 64 and will be counted in the same manner as previously described in reference to the counting of the quarters 117 at the station 63,

and will be sorted in the same manner as heretofore described by being ejected by the plunger 79 of the station 64 through the opening 68 into the chute passage 92 and thence into the open upper end of the receptacle 103, disposed therebeneath. Similarly, defective nickels passing the station 64 without rocking the bell crank 69 thereof sufficiently to close the electric switch 74 of said station, will strike the detlector 105 which is located between the stations 64 and 65 and will be deected thereby through the opening 100 into the passage 96 and thence into the collecting receptacle 103, disposed therebeneath. Pennies and dimes will pass under the roller 72 of the station 64 without rocking the bell crank 69 of said station and will also pass under the deflector clement 105 disposed immediately therebeyond. The pennies 119 extend upwardly to a sutlicient height as seen in FIGURE 7 to break the beam between the light source 85 and photoelectric cell 90 of the station 65, and when this occurs the relay 113 effects a closing of the circuit to energize the electromagnet 78 and the electric counter 82 of the station 65. This results in a counting of the coin and the projection of the plunger 79 by which the penny 119 is propelled through the opening 83 to drop by gravity through the chute passage 93 into the collecting receptacle 103 disposed therebeneath. Should a defective penny fail to break the beam of the station 65, the penny will strike the dcflector element 105 disposed immediately therebeyond and will be deected thereby through the opening 101 into the chute passage 97 to fall by gravity therefrom into the collecting receptacle 103 disposed therebeneath, but without being counted by the machine.

Dimes 120 will pass below the level of the opening S7 of the station 65 and will thus not break the beam between the light source 85 and photoelectric cell 90 of said station, Likewise, the dimes 120 will pass under the deflector element 105 disposed immediately therebeyond but will break the beam of light at the last station 66 to be ejected from the guide 40 through the opening 84 into the chute passage 94, in the same manner as previously described in reference to the sorting and counting of pennies of the station 65. Similarly, any defective dimes will be deflected by the last deector 105 into the last chute passage 98.

It will be apparent that an additional station could be provided for half dollars, if desired. It will also -be understood that all of the stations could be provided with sorting means corresponding to the sorting means of the stations 63 and 64, or all of the stations could be provided with photoelectric type sorting means as provided at the stations 65 and 66 and which is capable of sorting coins more rapidly than where electric switches are actuated by a mechanical element.

lt will also be apparent that with the switch 122 in an open position the machine can be utilized for only sorting coins and without tallying the coins. When so employed, the coins are sorted in their travel through the guide slot 62 by being deflected by the deliectors 105 into the appropriate chute passages 95, 96, 97 and 98.

The springs 81 react to quickly retract the plungers 79 after the plungers have been projected into the guide slots 62 for propelling coins therefrom into the chute passages, in order that the plungers 79 will be retracted out of the slot 62 before the endless conveyor can be advanced suiciently so that the solid upstanding trailing portion disposed behind the notch 60 of a conveyor finger in which a coin was carried, can advance sufficiently to strike the projected plunger. Furthermore, the plungers have only a slight movement into the slot 62 and which is sufficiently rapid so that the coins struck by the plungers are forcibly ejected from t-he guide 40.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A coin sorting machine comprising an elongated guide including a front plate and a rear plate defining a guide slot disposed therebetween and extending from endto-end of said guide, a driven endless conveyor, coin conveying elements connected to said endless conveyor and projecting outwardly from the periphery thereof, endless conveyor including a part through which the upper flight thereof travels for positioning the conveyor elements of the upper flight to extend upwardly into said guide slot for travel longitudinally through the guide, said conveyor elements having upper portions provided with upwardly opening coin receiving recesses, a coin containing hopper located at one end of said guide and having a slotted bottom through which the coin conveying elements of said upper flight initially travel for picking up coins from the hopper, each of said coin conveying elements being adapted to convey a single coin from the hopper longitudinally through the guide, a plurality of sorting apertures in said front plate in longitudinally spaced relation to one another and toward which said conveyor elements travel from the hopper, means located at the sorting apertures for displacing the coins from said guide through the apertures for sorting coins according to size from coins of the largest size to coins of the smallest size at the different apertures successively from the hopper, said front plate and rear plate being spaced apart a distance to confine the coins in said coin receiving recesses during travel of the conveyor elements between the hopper and sorting apertures.

2. A machine as in claim 1, and deector elements supported by the rear plate and extending across the guide slot into upper portions of said apertures and having bevelled surfaces engaged by the coins for deecting the coins through the apertures.

3. A machine as in claim 1, electrically actuated means associated with each aperture supported on and disposed behind the rear guide plate and having a plunger extending slidably through the rear guide plate and disposed in alignment with said aperture and normally disposed in a retracted position relative to the guide slot to permit coins to pass along the guide slot past the plunger, and means adjacent each aperture responsive to a coin of a specific size for completing an electric circuit to said electrically actuated means of said aperture when the coin is positioned between said aperture and plunger whereby the plunger is projected toward the aperture to propel the coin through said aperture and out of the coin guide.

4. A machine as in claim 3, said guide being inclined from top to bottom thereof relative to the vertical such that coins will slide along the front side of the rear plate.

5. A machine as in claim 4, and an electric counter at each aperture connected electrically with said electrically actuated means thereof `for tallying the coins ejected from the guide at each station.

6. A machine as in claim 5, and an auxiliary coin sorter located beyond each sorting aperture including an opening in the front plate and a coin deector element extending from the rear plate toward the upper part of the opening for deflecting rejected coins, of a proper size to be ejected from said aperture and which pass said aperture, from the guide and .without the rejected coins being counted.

7. A machine as in claim 1, said endless conveyor including a roller chain, top and bottom guide rails constituting said part of the means supporting the endless conveyor, means supporting said guide rails from the rear guide plate, and the rollers of the upper flight of the chain traveling between said rails for maintaining said conveyor elements relative to the guide so as to travel freely through the guide slot.

8. A machine as in claim 1, one end of said guide extending through the slotted bottom of the hopper, and the upper part of the portion of one of the guide plates disposed within said hopper being recessed to facilitate gravity movement of the coins into Ithe recesses of said conveyor elements, said guide being inclined from top t0 e .LA

bottom relative to the Vertical such that the coins disposed in the recesses of the conveyor elements will lie against the other guide plate.

References Cited in the le of this patent 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 229,712 Lunkin July 6, 1880 264,235 Boyce Sept. 12, 1882 1,076,113 Harrelson Oct. 21, 1913 1,096,171 Johnson May 12, 1914 10 1,376,904 Stumme ...1-..- May 3, 1921 10 Szyper June 6, Samuelsen Dec. 7, Kennedy Apr. 5, Isted Apr. 23, Gordon Apr. 29, Seckula Apr. 21, Kaplanowski Jan. 17,

FOREIGN PATENTS Norway Apr. 15, Germany Nov. 20. 

